Winchester Levers, Scope/No Scope

A scope on a Winnie..... No. On any Lever gun..... I never would.

The whole reason for a lever gun is for the 'nostalgia' of the 'old west'..... (IMHO)

If you need/want a scope, buy a Bolt Gun. They shoot better (more accurately) anyway.

My $.02
 
Back before I was born my dad went into a store because they have Lever Action rifles, Savages to be precise and they were on sale. My grandfather told my dad under no circumstances to buy that $250 Savage because it was a piece of crap :D

He told my dad to spend the extra money and buy the Winchester (I think my dad said it was about $400).

My dad have loved that rifle since and it's hunted everything from bear, to deer, to moose without a single problem!
 
For most levers, a peep and fire sight front, for the 94 ae and any lever that can do long range work, a 2 3/4 power scope is good, no one will laugh at you as long as you have the gun in your hands.
 
drache said:
Back before I was born my dad went into a store because they have Lever Action rifles, Savages to be precise and they were on sale. My grandfather told my dad under no circumstances to buy that $250 Savage because it was a piece of crap :D

He told my dad to spend the extra money and buy the Winchester (I think my dad said it was about $400).

My dad have loved that rifle since and it's hunted everything from bear, to deer, to moose without a single problem!
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Well he was right about the Savage! :D
 
Personally I like peep sights on a traditional lever. Also there was nothing wrong with the older manufacture Savage rifles from a design standpoint they were superior to Winchesters and Marlins.
 
I grew up using peep sights and really like them. The problem is the eyes are not quite as good as they once were and so I've had to resort to using a 1-4 or 1.5-5 on the levers. Keep the scope short and small the smallest objective at the front and they don't look to bad.
 
A side mount scope on a win '94 is the only thing keeping my 80 year old father in law hunting. He bought the gun new in 1959 and is the only rifle he's ever used for deer. A few years ago he realised his eyesight isn't as good as it used to be and stopped shooting. The scope fixed that.

He does admit that it looks "goofy as hell" :D
 
The best thing about a winchester mdl 94 is the way it carries at trail. Scope takes that away. Being able to close your hand around the balance point makes them even lighter then they are.

When I can't see the sights and 'need' a scope I'll hand the trapper off to the child in favor and spend the rest of thier inheritances on good glass for the other rifles.
 
david doyle said:
The best thing about a winchester mdl 94 is the way it carries at trail. Scope takes that away. Being able to close your hand around the balance point makes them even lighter then they are.

When I can't see the sights and 'need' a scope I'll hand the trapper off to the child in favor and spend the rest of thier inheritances on good glass for the other rifles.
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I have a small scout mounted 2x scope on mine. It has affected nothing other than seeing my target better under all conditions.
 
Here is my take. My main hunting rifle is a 1972 Winchester Model 94 .30-30Win. I hunt moose, bear and deer with it here in Ontario. I hunted it with the factory sights for years with no issue, but last year wanted to get a better sighting system added. Did the research ( looked at side mount scope/red dot and scout mounted scopes and red dots) and settled in on a Williams Fool Proof peep and firesight front post. Shoots like a dream with increased accuracy without a change in the way the rifle handles and feels.

IMO it's the way to go with a Winnie top eject.

Oh ya.....another topic, I switched to the Hornady LE stuff.....AWESOME!
 
As I stated I like the iron sights on a lever gun and peeps have there place as well. I do depise those side mounted scopes on a lever gun but untill you've shot a gun with a setup like this you have no idea what your missing.

Yes, I have bolt rifles that are scoped and may be more pleasing to the eye.

For speed and accuracy here in the Eastern woods out to 150 yards you'd be hard pressed to put together a better rig. Ability to follow game with both eyes open and looking down a 2x scope at the same time.

Leupold 2x LER in a Leupold mount.


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While I cut my teeth on a Lee Enfield .303 some 40 plus years ago when I was a young teenager, I did some hunting for one season with a Win. Model 94 30.30. (Interesting side note: As part of the local militia in the Chilliwack area (Dad was a dairy farmer) he was issued the '94 during WW2, brand new, for $10. I understand these are sought after by collectors. Wish I could get my hands on it now, long story...)

He mounted a Williams peep sight on it, which I think is the ideal set up for these. They just don't adapt worth a damn to a scope, in the same manner as neither does the Lee Enfield.

On the other hand, a reasonably compact scope looks and handles just fine atop a Marlin, which I think is a superior lever gun in just about every respect. Not saying the Winny is an inferior rifle, just not quite up to a Marlin.

:)
 
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